Pakistan’s ECP assigns 'Clock' symbol to Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s new party

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has officially assigned the "Clock" symbol to Awam Pakistan, the newly formed political party led by former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

A formal notification confirming the symbol has been issued, with copies sent to all provincial election commissions.

Awam Pakistan was launched in July 2024 after Abbasi parted ways with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). The split followed an internal power shift within PML-N when Maryam Nawaz, daughter of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, was appointed as the party’s senior vice president on January 3, 2023.

Abbasi resigned from his position as PML-N’s senior vice president, citing concerns that his presence could fuel internal conflicts. He formally left the party in December 2023.

Alongside Abbasi, former Finance Minister Miftah Ismail also left PML-N and became the Secretary-General of Awam Pakistan. The ECP recognized the party’s intra-party elections, a key step for its official registration.

Following the February 8, 2024 elections, the ECP registered six new political parties, including the Balochistan National Alliance, Pakistan Awami Kuwat, Pakistan Khidmat Khalq League, Technology Movement Pakistan, and Pakhtunkhwa Awami National Party.

In 2025, Awam Pakistan became the first party to be fully registered, bringing the total number of registered political parties in Pakistan to 168.

Abbasi, who served as Pakistan’s prime minister from 2017 to 2018, now leads Awam Pakistan as its convener. The party aims to establish a distinct political identity, separate from his former affiliation with PML-N.